“Interesting. Women earn more money when they don’t get married (and men earn less) #AllTheSingleLadies” —Kay Sch

“I learned this when I was young and married with two toddlers. I was always sent to the back of the line. Unmarried is considered more reliable, available for overtime, possibly better performance on the job … Never mind that the singles might be up all night hanging at a bar, partying, caring for an elderly parent, etc.” —Thupton Rabgsal

“What a generalization, and it doesn’t measure or capture the quality of life marriage can bring when done right. I’d prefer to redefine what marriage means since it’s no longer necessary for (many but not all) a gal’s financial well-being.” —Dawn Michelle Morgan

“In Sweden’s feminist reform of their welfare state in the early 1970s, they focused on women as economically independent and men having the ‘right to be human,’ that is, to also care for children. Their idea was to strip away as much of the non-affectional part of marriage as possible so that partnering would be about love and care, and not so much about economics. They did away with joint tax filings, increased the quality and decreased the cost of child care, introduced generous paid parental leave, and worked on making work days ‘family friendly,’ meaning encouraging people (not just parents) to leave work after eight hours. What this does is to give partnered women many of the advantages of single life pointed out in this article.” —SophieBlue

Black Lives Matter and policing strategies

With the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile adding to the toll of Black people killed by police in the United States this year (137, as of July 8, 2016), the inevitable question persists: What can be done? YES! reporter Kate Stringer pulled together well-researched strategies that would reduce police violence:

1. Train for racial bias.

2. Hire more female officers.

3. Match the racial diversity of the community.

4. Open departments to research.

5. Wear body cameras.

These strategies were widely shared by public interest organizations like the Aspen Institute, Films For Action, and United Church of Christ; in other media, such as openDemocracy, BillMoyers.com, NationofChange, San Diego Free Press, and Public Radio International; and by thousands of YES! readers in social media.

Of course, mental health first aid

Jasleena Grewal’s article “What If Mental Health First Aid Were as Widespread as CPR?” generated more than 60,000 likes, shares, and comments on Facebook alone. The story looked at New York City’s current initiative to make mental health first aid a public health priority and first aid trainings as ubiquitous as CPR classes. Readers responded with excitement and told us about related initiatives happening in their own communities:

“This training is, without a doubt, as essential as CPR. Officers that learn more about mental illness become front line ambassadors in the fight against stigma.” —Julianna Shapiro

“This is great, but I’d like to see mental health care be as common as dental care and an annual checkup.” —Emily

“Because all too often law enforcement has not been sufficiently trained for/are not well suited to dealing with crisis response, we have started a community circle exploring what grassroots Albuquerque can do to work toward better outcomes.” —Isle Biel

Have you ever had an opportunity to make use of YES! in your own community and organizing activities? We’d love to hear about it.

We’re rounding up stories for our 20th anniversary and would love to hear how YES! has made a difference in your life, has inspired you to take action, or has supported your work in other ways.

Contributors

Welcome to the Gig Economy

Chris Farrell

Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor at Marketplace, American Public Media’s nationally syndicated public radio business and economic program. He is economics commentator for Minnesota Public Radio and host of its series, “Conversations on the Creative Economy.” An award-winning journalist, Chris is a columnist for Next Avenue and The Star Tribune. His most recent book is Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community, and the Good Life. He tries to hike Minnesota’s wonderful trails as much as possible (including during the winter). His article for this issue of YES! Magazine reflects his belief that reforming the social safety net to reflect the new world is critical to improving the quality of jobs over a lifetime for all workers at all ages.

Martin do Nascimento

Martin do Nascimento is a freelance photographer and videographer based in Austin, Texas, who stumbled upon his love of visual storytelling while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua. Since then, Martin’s work has appeared in national and international publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, El Espectador, Univisión, News Photographer magazine, and YES! Magazine.

Tristan Ahtone

Tristan Ahtone is an award-winning journalist and member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma. He was born in Arizona, raised across the United States, and educated at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the Columbia School of Journalism. Since 2008, Tristan has reported for PBS Newshour, National Native News, Frontline, Wyoming Public Radio, Vice, Fronteras Desk, NPR, and Al Jazeera America. He serves as Treasurer for the Native American Journalists Association. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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